- A new CD of Sacred Chant and Polyphony from the AMDG Schola Cantorum conducted by Dr. Thea Smith and featuring Dr. Murray Bradshaw, organist.

The chant on this CD is sung according to the school of Dom Joseph Gajard, O.S.B, of the Monks of Solesmes Abbey - the community most responsible for the revival of chant in this era.

About the conductor -

Dr. Thea Smith comes from a family of distinguished musicians. She holds several academic degrees, including a Ph.D. in Mathematics, and has served as a professor at various universities. While earning a degree in music, she had the rare opportunity of studying under the renowned Dom Joseph Gajard, perhaps the greatest master of Gregorian Chant during the 20th century. It was Dom Gajard who, as Choirmaster at the Abbey of Solesmes in France, spearheaded the revival of chant and received worldwide acclaim for his Grand Prix recordings, performances marked by an unmatched refinement and authenticity of interpretation. More than any other muscal form, it seems, Gregorian chant cannot be fully "written" and depends upon a living transmission for its correct interpretation. Dr. Smith is proud to preserve and perpetuate this musical heritage, in her own recitals of chant, as well as by Gregorian choirs and scholas she has founded and trained.

About the organist -

Dr. Murray Bradshaw comes from UCLA, where he served for many years as Professor of Music and as Head of the Musicology Department. Dr. Bradshaw has a Master's degree in Organ from the Chicago Conservatory of Music and a Phd. in Musicology from the University of Chicago. His special field of expertise is ancient (pre-17 the century) music, and he is an acknowledged master of the organ.